OK Mark....Here we go!.....some rules questions!

[Ichibrothers]

First off Mark.....Awesome game! Graphics are top notch and truly refreshing! The fire combat and results system is very innovative...completely different from anything I've played before. It's going to take some time for me to get used to the impulse thing as that is a first as well. Set up my first VC defense as if where a straight my turn your turn game...oops...LOL. So, after a couple of readings of the rules and an hour of playing here are some questions:

1. Can a Shaken Medic be wounded, or is he eliminated for failing a morale check called for by fire?

2. "Examples of Degrading Terrain are...., tall grass, and smoke." Yet the TEC lists tall grass as Blocking Terrain and the body of rules for smoke says "Smoke is Blocking Terrain...." Which is correct?

3. Smoke +2: The +2 is the elevation?

That's it for now. Really looking forward to the full release! Again, great work!

Bill

[Mark H. Walker]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the post. I'm also jazzed about this game. Graphical thanks, however, go to Rich Canavan (counters) and Ron Shirtz (Boards). They are soooo good at this! Answers to your questions are below.

Originally posted by Ichibrothers:
First off Mark.....Awesome game! Graphics are top notch and truly refreshing! The fire combat and results system is very innovative...completely different from anything I've played before. It's going to take some time for me to get used to the impulse thing as that is a first as well. Set up my first VC defense as if where a straight my turn your turn game...oops...LOL. So, after a couple of readings of the rules and an hour of playing here are some questions:

1. Can a Shaken Medic be wounded, or is he eliminated for failing a morale check called for by fire?

This one is on the IFT, Bill. Under the heading "Good Order SMC (Not Hero)" and the adjacent column "Shaken SMC (Not Hero)" Be aware, however, that incoming fire does NOT cause a Morale Check, but rather a Damage Check. You probably understood that, but I want to make it clear. Damage Checks are rolled with one die, Morale Checks (which are used to rally troops and several other things) are rolled with two. Hence if you roll one die, add the difference in the modified attacker's Firepower die roll and the defender's die roll, and that die roll is greater than the morale (but less than 2X the morale) of a shaken Medic the Medic is wounded. If a SMC already marked with a wounded counter is wounded again he is killed.

2. "Examples of Degrading Terrain are...., tall grass, and smoke." Yet the TEC lists tall grass as Blocking Terrain and the body of rules for smoke says "Smoke is Blocking Terrain...." Which is correct? [/quote]Man, your are hired as HEAD playtester ;-). Tall Grass (the yellow stuff) is Blocking Terrain. Smoke is also blocking terrain with a Target Modifier of +1.

3. Smoke +2: The +2 is the elevation? Nah, the counter is a bit confusing. [/quote]My --as the kids say-- bad. Initially place the +2 side up. Flip to the +1 side in the first admin phase after placement. Remove in the next admin phase. It's a countdown thing.

That's it for now. Really looking forward to the full release! Again, great work!

Bill[/quote]

[ October 05, 2002, 12:08: Message edited by: Mark H. Walker ]

[Mark H. Walker]

Hi Bill,

My reply isn't graphically clear, but it is all there.

Okay, I think I fixed it. Looks okay now.

Best,
Mark

[ October 05, 2002, 12:09: Message edited by: Mark H. Walker ]

[Ichibrothers]

Thanks for the quick reply Mark. So...my Shaken Medic becomes wounded as a result of a damage check (and yes I understood it was a damage check and not a morale check...just used to thinking in those terms..lol). Thus, he can not heal himself as he is shaken. So he must first be rallied by a leader, and then he can heal himself. Is that how it works?

So if a SMC can be wounded, what are the negative effects of a Good Order Medic, or Sniper for that matter, becoming wounded but not shaken as a result of a damage check? I see how the wound result effects a leader, but not the other SMC in the game.

Thanks again Mark,
Bill

[Mark H. Walker]

Hi Bill,

Well, if I understand your question correctly. The difference is this... a wounded SMC is only one wound from deadth, but a shaken SMC is two wounds from death. Yes, shaken medic must be rallied by leader (or Hero or Chaplain --which aren't in demo) before the medic may heal anyone.

Keep playing!

Best,
Mark

[Ichibrothers]

Hey Mark,
Well yes, I see that being wounded is one wound away from being eliminated, but that is not exactly the question. Say you have a leader who takes a damage check which he fails by between 2x and 3x his moral. So that leader is now wounded....as a result, his leadership .....oh stop, stop, stop! I see it! I failed to notice that if a good order SMC becomes wounded, he is shaken as well....da! I was asking what happens to a Medic who is wounded but not shaken...but that is impossible as the would causes him to be shaken as well....Sorry. My bad.

[Mark H. Walker]

No prb. Bill. Keep playing. BTW, did you all know that there is a VASL mod of the demo that will allow you to play live on the INternet?

Download the module from http://www.vasl.org/vassal/Modules.html.

Best,
Mark